Then Jesus said, "Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile."
Mark 6:31
As the leaves begin to change colour and the days gradually become shorter, autumn reminds us that change is a natural part of life. The trees let go of what they no longer need, preparing for a quieter season so new growth can begin again.
There is something beautiful about this rhythm. Nature does not rush from one season to another. There is a time for growth, a time for change and a time for rest.
Our working lives can easily become disconnected from this rhythm. With deadlines, meetings, emails and responsibilities competing for our attention, it can be tempting to keep pushing forward without taking a proper break. Yet rest is not something Christians need to feel guilty about. When we use our annual leave wisely, taking time away from work can be a valuable opportunity to rest, reconnect with God and restore our perspective.
Rest Is Part of God's Design
From the very beginning of the Bible, we see that rest matters to God, and He regularly reminds us that we were never designed to work continuously without stopping. Rest is not simply what we do when everything else has been completed. There will almost always be another email to answer or another deadline approaching.
Sometimes we need to deliberately stop.
Taking annual leave from work can be one practical way of doing this. It gives us permission to step away from our professional responsibilities and recognise that our identity and purpose are not dependent on how much we accomplish.
Annual Leave Is More Than a Change of Scenery
It can be easy to think of annual leave simply as an opportunity to go somewhere new or plan an exciting holiday. There is certainly nothing wrong with enjoying a trip, exploring somewhere different, achieving a lifelong goal, or spending time with family and friends.
But rest does not always require an elaborate holiday.
Sometimes the most restorative annual leave is a quiet few days at home, a walk outdoors, an afternoon reading, time with loved ones or simply having space to pray without watching the clock.
Autumn can be a particularly helpful season in which to embrace this slower pace. The changing landscape invites us to pause and notice God's creation. A walk through a park filled with autumn leaves can become an opportunity to reflect, pray and give thanks.
The goal is not necessarily to make every moment of annual leave productive. Sometimes rest means allowing yourself to simply be present.
Create Space to Reconnect With God
Our professional lives can become so busy that our relationship with God is gradually squeezed into whatever time remains at the end of the day. Between early mornings, busy commutes, meetings, deadlines and responsibilities, it can be easy for prayer to become something we fit in if we have a spare moment. Yet annual leave provides an opportunity to step away from that routine and create intentional space for God. Rather than filling every day with activities and plans, we can allow ourselves to slow down and remember that our relationship with Him deserves our time and attention too.
Perhaps you could begin a morning without immediately reaching for your phone or checking your work emails. Instead, spend some peaceful time reading and praying, allowing yourself to start the day without the pressure of work. You could also take some time to look back over the past few months, thanking God for where He has carried you and asking for wisdom, strength and guidance for the times ahead. These simple moments can help us reconnect with God in ways that our busy working routines sometimes make difficult.
Annual leave can also give us the breathing room to prayerfully consider our priorities. Are we giving enough attention to our family and relationships? Have we allowed work to become more important than it should be? Are we making enough space for church, fellowship, serving others and growing in our faith? What might God be teaching us in this particular phases of our life? We do not always have to find immediate answers to these questions. Sometimes, simply creating enough quiet to ask them is valuable. Rest gives us space to step back, listen and invite God into the areas of our lives that may have become too busy.
Finding Balance in Professional Life
A healthy approach to work does not mean caring less about your career. We can honour God through excellent, diligent and responsible work, using the gifts and opportunities given to us. However, the challenge comes when work begins to take more than it should. When evenings, weekends and holidays are regularly consumed by professional responsibilities, it can become difficult to maintain healthy boundaries. Over time, this can affect our relationships, physical and emotional wellbeing, spiritual life, and ability to enjoy the other gifts God has placed in our lives. Annual leave can therefore provide an important boundary, giving us intentional time to step away from our professional responsibilities and create space for rest.
When you take time off, where possible, allow yourself to genuinely disconnect. Set an out-of-office message, avoid checking work emails unnecessarily and trust colleagues with responsibilities that can wait until your return. This can feel uncomfortable at first, particularly if you are accustomed to being constantly available, but learning to step away from work is also an act of recognising our limitations and trusting that the world will continue without us for a few days.
Let Autumn Remind You That Seasons Change
One of the lessons we can take from autumn is that nothing stays the same forever. The trees change. The weather changes. The daylight changes. And our own lives move through different seasons too.
Perhaps you are currently in a demanding season professionally. Maybe you are building a career, leading a team, caring for others or working towards an important goal. Alternatively, you may be entering a season of transition and uncertainty.
Whatever your circumstances, remember that you do not have to remain in a constant state of striving. There are seasons for working hard, but there are also seasons for stepping back.
Taking annual leave does not mean you are falling behind. It can give you the opportunity to return to your work with renewed energy, clearer thinking and a healthier perspective.
Rest, Receive and Return
When we allow ourselves to rest, we acknowledge that we have limits, and we need sleep, relationships, quiet and time away from our responsibilities. Most importantly, we need God.
This autumn, consider using your annual leave not simply as an escape from work, but as an opportunity to receive the gift of rest. Give yourself permission to slow down, spend time with those you love, and make space for prayer. Let go of the pressure to be productive every moment and trust that your work can wait while you take time to recharge.
When you return to work, you may find yourself approaching your responsibilities with renewed energy, gratitude and perspective. Your career matters, but it is only one part of the life God has given you. As the leaves fall and a new season begins, allow autumn to remind you that rest has its place. Work faithfully, but don't forget to rest faithfully too. Take your annual leave, put down your work, make space for God and trust Him with everything that can wait until tomorrow.
It is useless for you to work so hard
from early morning until late at night,
anxiously working for food to eat;
for God gives rest to his loved ones.
Psalm 127:2